Q: Last month, a young couple moved into the apartment next to mine. When I met them, I learned they had recently moved here from India for a job opportunity. I thought I would be neighborly and invite them over for a home-cooked meal while they were in the process of getting settled. A week or so later, they invited me to dinner at their apartment. I had never eaten Indian food before, and although I enjoyed some of the dishes, I couldn't help but notice the very pungent smell that came from their cooking. Even though I like them, I am now worried that the odors from their kitchen will start to leak into my apartment and affect my health. How can I protect myself against their cooking?

A: The Fair Housing statutes protect all tenants' rights to live in a rental property without interference or discrimination, regardless of their national origin.

In our diverse society, these protections require housing providers to tolerate differences in culture and practices arising from the different national backgrounds of their residents.

The only exception might be if the cooking activities constituted a nuisance, meaning that the odors or fumes from the food were so invasive or irritating that they were unreasonably interfering with your ability to utilize your rental unit.